


you keep his shirt, he keeps his word

by waywardprentiss



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Sharing Clothes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28963323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardprentiss/pseuds/waywardprentiss
Summary: Danny can’t believe he’s about to walk into the office on a Saturday morning wearing one of Steve’s flannels but apparently this is what his life has come to.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett & Danny "Danno" Williams & Grace Williams & Charles "Charlie" Williams Edwards, Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 8
Kudos: 192





	you keep his shirt, he keeps his word

**Author's Note:**

> this started off as a little what if that flannel danny wore in 6.13 was steve’s and then it just kinda spiraled from there. not set in that episode but just like a vague early season 6 vibe.

Danny wakes up warm, his eyes blinking open to the brightness of sunlight streaming in the room from the window.

He buries his head deeper into the arm he’d been using as a pillow and stretches his legs out. When his feet brush up against Steve’s shin under the covers, the other man lets out a quiet groan in his sleep. 

Danny sighs into Steve’s shoulder and flicks his eyes up to look at his face. Steve’s eyes are closed and the beams of sunlight that are streaming in are casting shadows over his face. It makes Steve’s usual golden kissed skin look even more radiant and if Danny was more awake, he’d probably cover up the fact that looking at it makes his heart skip a beat with a joke.

After a minute, he starts caressing Steve’s bare stomach and the arm around his shoulder tightens. 

Steve shuffles his head toward him and hums. “Mhmm.”

Danny chuckles under his breath at the goofy smile that spread across Steve’s face even with his eyes still closed. “Morning, babe.”

“Mhmm.” Steve says again, eyes blinking open and settling on Danny. “Danno.”

His grin widens and Danny can’t help but lean forward and kiss his chin before tilting his head up to kiss his lips. Taking their time, they trade several slow kisses before Steve pulls back to speak against his mouth. “Wake me up like that every day.”

“You got it.” Danny says, grinning before leaning forward to kiss him again.

Their morning stubble rubs against each other and Steve pulls back after a minute to settle in against his pillow again. His right arm tightens around Danny again and as he settles against Steve’s chest, and Steve caresses the forearm that's wrapped around his waist.

It’s Danny’s turn to hum when Steve rubs another hand up his back and into his hair. “Keep doing that and we’ll stay here all day.”

He feels Steve press a kiss to his forehead. “Okay.”

“If only we didn’t have two sleeping kids in your house right now.”

“Good point.” Steve says, chuckling before pressing another kiss to his forehead. After a second, he taps Danny’s back and he shuffles away back to his side of the bed.

Danny stretches his arms over his head, grumbling as he watches Steve get out of bed. “Hey, that wasn’t an invitation to get up and leave.”

Steve grins over his shoulder at him as he makes his way over to the dresser and pulls out a shirt. He pulls it over his head and his voice is muffled by the fabric. “I’m gonna go for a run before breakfast.”

He grabs a pair of Nike’s from the corner of the room before sitting on the bed to pull them on. “How about you make some of your famous pancakes while I’m gone?”

“Mhm.” Danny says, stretching out a hand to rub Steve’s back. “I see how it is. You’re just in this for the food.”

Steve grins as he finishes tying his laces and turns around on the bed to face Danny. He leans over, smirking as he braces a hand on the other side of Danny. “You caught me, Danno.”

Danny shakes his head in exasperation but returns the deep kiss that Steve gives him when he leans down to kiss him goodbye. “Don’t take too long. Might not be any food left.”

Steve laughs, patting Danny’s hip before getting up. “I won’t. Besides, Grace mentioned wanting to spend the day on the beach and Charlie seemed on board. Don’t want to get on their bad sides.”

“You’re gonna spoil my kids with this place.”

Steve shoots him a grin from the other side of the room before he turns to pick up his watch on the dresser. “That’s the plan, Danno.”

Danny feels his chest tighten at the words, first in gratitude then in fear but he schools his expression before Steve turns around. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yeah.” Danny nods.

Steve throws him a wink from the doorway and once he’s left the room, Danny lets out a breath.

He sits up in bed and rubs his fingers through his hair. Danny rubs his neck as he takes a minute to think back to how they ended up here. 

It’s been a couple months since they realized that they both felt this and decided to give this relationship thing a go. It was after his breakup with Mellissa and all the drama with her ex and after Steve and Cath had decided they were better as friends. 

It wasn’t that long after he’d found out about Charlie either. Danny had been stressed and upset about Rachel lying to him, not to mention worried out of his mind about the son he just found out he had. And Steve, like he always has been, was there for him through it all. It was a random night, nothing special really about it but all it took was one shared look of understanding for them to finally stop dancing around each other and say, “Let’s do this.”

Steve has been great about everything, honest but Danny still has his doubts. Not about whether or not Steve cares about him or his kids, he knows he does. It’s more about if Steve is ready to have kids of his own. He knows Steve likes kids but it’s different when when they’re yours and it’s definitely different when one just became a teenager and the other hasn’t even started school yet. 

Pushing his worries to the back of his mind like he usually does, Danny gets up to go check on the kids. He kept a pair of clothes over at Steve’s even before they were together but he can’t bother to go look for them at the moment so he just grabs the faded red and blue flannel of Steve’s that was thrown over the headboard.

He slips it on and buttons a few of the buttons to resemble some modesty since he's still in his boxers and steps into the bathroom for a second before heading out to peak in Grace’s room first.

In what used to be Steve’s room growing up, but turned into Grace’s very soon after she met Steve, his daughter is still sleeping peacefully. 

He quietly closes the door and heads further down the hall. He opens up Mary’s old bedroom door just in time to see Charlie sit up in his race car bed. “Good morning, buddy.”

“Hi, Danno.” Charlie mumbles as he rubs is eyes.

“Did you sleep well?” Danny asks, walking over to pick him up when Charlie extends his arms. 

Charlie nods against his shoulder and Danny settles a hand on his back. “That’s real good, buddy. Would you like to help Danno make pancakes for breakfast?”

Charlie swings his head up so fast that he almost knocks into Danny’s chin. “Yes!”

“Alright.” Danny laughs, savoring the childish excitement on his son’s face. “We better get going then, huh? Wouldn’t want your sister or Uncle Steve to get there first.”

Charlie nods seriously and so the two of them make their way out of the room. After a stop by the bathroom for Charlie, they make their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

Danny sits Charlie down before pulling up a stool to the island for him to sit at as Danny cooks. He pulls out everything he needs to make blueberry pancakes and sits them on the kitchen island before going around and helping Charlie up into his chair. “All good?”

Charlie nods, distracted by the various bowls already. 

“Juice?” Danny asks, turning to the fridge.

“Yeah. Apple!”

Danny pulls out the apple juice from the fridge before getting a cup from the cabinet. “You got it, little man.”

He sits the half full glass down in front of Charlie and watches at his son immediately takes a huge gulp. He quickly grabs a paper towel to wipe Charlie’s face before he stains his dinosaur pjs.

After Danny starts up the coffee maker, he gets to work making the pancake batter. Charlie helps him stir the various ingredients and Danny revels in the one on one time he has with his son.

As he watches Charlie grin because batter splashed up on his face, he can’t believe he almost missed this. He thinks there will always be a part of him that hates Rachel a little bit for keeping him from witnessing certain moments in his life but then he watches his little boy smile and thinks it was worth it be here where they are now. 

Charlie has been through a lot. From being sick and then being told, “Hey, that guy you thought was your dad? He’s not.” So, he was hesitant to even approach the topic of him and Steve being together because he didn’t want to add to any confusion he still might have had.

It’s hard enough explaining to your kid why you and his mom aren’t together, it’s even harding trying to explain that your dad likes all kinds of people and is now with another boy. Even with two liberal households and a handful of queer parents at his school, you never know how it’s gonna go. Thankfully, both of his kids are apart of a generation that doesn’t even bat an eye at it. Charlie took it in stride just like Grace did and quickly asked if that meant he could play on Uncle Steve’s beach every weekend. 

The fact that both of his kids transitioned to Uncle Steve is Danno’s best friend to Uncle Steve is now Danno’s boyfriend so well told him that they probably should’ve took the leap years ago. 

He’s pouring the batter on the griddle when Grace walks into the kitchen. 

“Hey, monkey.” He says, as she makes her way over to his side. 

She looks over his shoulder and Danny takes the opportunity to pull her into his side and kiss the side of her head. “Ooh, pancakes.”

“Morning, Grace!” Charlie says jumping down from his spot at the island. 

“Hey, Charlie.” She says, hugging her brother back when he grabs one of her legs.

Danny flips a couple of the pancakes. “Help your sister set the table, buddy.”

“Okay!”

“Where’s Uncle Steve?” Grace asks, opening up a drawer to get utensils out for everyone.

Danny plates a few pancakes and pours more batter on the griddle. “He’s on a run. He’ll be back in a minute.”

As Grace and Charlie set the table in the other room, Danny finishes cooking and follows them with a huge stack of pancakes along with butter and syrup. He starts dividing them out on separate plates and just as he’s finished with the two of theirs, Steve walks in the back door from the lanai.

“Good morning, guys!” He says, with a light sheen of sweat on his face.

Danny scuffs as he watches his partner rub Charlie’s head in greeting. “Go clean up, you animal.”

He dishes out a couple pancakes each for himself and Steve. “Coffee’s ready in there, by the way.”

“Sure thing, Danno.” Steve says, walking around the table and squeezing his shoulder on the way into the hall.

Danny looks over at Charlie. “You want butter, buddy?”

“Please, Daddy.” Charlie nods furiously.

“Okay, buddy.” He laughs. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

He leans over, buttering Charlie’s pancakes before his son drowns them in maple syrup. Grace clears her throat, throwing him a pointed look and Danny looks over, still with the butter knife in his hands. 

‘What?” Danny says, even though he’s already moving toward her plate. “You need me to butter your pancakes like you’re five years old again?”

Grace just smirks up at him. “Thank you, Dad.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Danny says, reaching up to tug on her braid before sitting down and buttering his own.

“These smell great, Danny.” Steve says, walking into the room again in a fresh set of clothes and carrying two cups of coffee. He sits one in front of Danny and he looks up in appreciation. “Thanks, babe.”

“Of course.” Steve settles into the chair across from Danny and pulls his plate closer before looking up at him. “What? No butter on mine?”

Grace laughs and her and Steve share a grin while Charlie laughs along because his sister is. 

Danny shakes his head, passing the butter to Steve. “Unbelievable.”

Steve throws him a wink and they all settle in eating their breakfast. 

After a bit, Steve asks, “Hey, did you sign those reports on the Thompson case?”

Danny looks up from where he had been wiping Charlie’s face. “Uh, no.”

“They needed to get signed yesterday, Danny. They were in my office.”

“How was I suppose to sign them if they were in your office, Steven?”

Steve just shakes his head in fond exasperation and Danny sighs. “I’ll go by later and sign them. No big deal.”

He turns toward his daughter. “You have an English paper due next week, right?”

“Yeah, Danno.” She nods. “I’m almost done with it.”

“Okay. This is perfect. You finish that up this morning while I go into the office for a bit and then we can spend the afternoon down on the beach, okay?”

She nods again and takes another bite of her breakfast.

“Charlie.” He turns to his son. “You’re gonna spend some time with Uncle Steve after breakfast, okay? Danno has to go into work for a little while.”

“Yeah, bud.” Steve grins. “What’d you say? We can play race cars or dinosaurs?”

Charlie thinks for a moment. “Can the dinosaurs drive the race cars?”

“Of course they can, buddy!” Steve says, giving Charlie a high five and that was that.

-

Danny can’t believe he’s about to walk into the office on a Saturday morning wearing one of Steve’s flannels but apparently this is what his life has come to.

After they had wrapped up breakfast and Grace had gone to work on her laptop, Danny had realized he didn’t have a clean shirt with him. Once he had changed into some jeans, Steve had looked him over and said, “Just wear my shirt, Danno.”

Danny unfortunately couldn’t refuse him when he had that heated look in his eyes. 

So, now here he is walking into Five-0 headquarters in a flannel a size too big for him. He hopes to God no one is in there today.

Of course half of their team is. 

“What the hell are you two doing here?” He asks after he walks by Chin’s office and sees him and Kono in there.

Chin smiles at from behind his desk as he steps into the room. “Could ask you the same thing.”

“Nice shirt.” Kono smirks at him from her place on the couch. Danny wants to wipe that grin right off. She has a towel In her lap and her hair is damp. She must have just come from surfing. 

Danny feels himself blush. “Don’t start with me, Mrs. Noshimuri. Why aren’t you with your new husband?”

She grins. “I’m meeting him for lunch. I just stopped by to check on cousin here who decided to spend the weekend in the office catching up on paperwork.” 

He looks over at Chin and the other man shrugs. “No offense but with Lou and Jerry both on vacation, I was expecting some time to myself.”

“Please.” Danny holds up his hands. “Don’t let me stop you. I just have to sign some reports before Steve has a fit and I’ll be on my way.”

“Speaking of.” Chin smirks just like Kono did a minute earlier and god can Danny see the family resemblance. “Where’d you get the shirt?’

“I see.” He starts waving his hands between them. “Is this going to become a thing? Every time you know I’m with Steve, you’re gonna make jokes? That’s great. I can feel the love.”

They laugh as he continues. “Yes, it’s Steve’s. You know it is. I didn’t have a clean shirt at his place. Are you both happy now?”

“Ooh, no clean shirt?” Kono raises an eyebrow up at Chin and Chin’s smirk widens.

“Okay.” Danny steps back into the doorway of the office. “This has been great but I think it’s time for me to go now.”

He makes his way over to Steve’s office and the sound of their laughter follows him. 

Once he opens the door, he hears Kono yell. “You sharing offices now too, bruh?”

“You shut the hell up!” He yells back just as loudly as he makes his way around to Steve’s desk. Ignoring the way his face is flushing, he picks up the report. Once he finds where he needs to sign, he does so and folds it back up on the desk. 

He looks around the desk absentmindedly as he’s leaving and notices a new frame and does a double take. 

In what used to be an empty part of Steve’s desk now sits a simple black frame. The picture though is what makes Danny stop in his tracks and walk back over and reach out to touch it. He sits down in Steve’s chair without thinking, white knuckled grip on the frame.

It’s a photo of him, Charlie and Grace. They’re in Steve’s backyard and Danny is sitting in his usual chair by the sand. It was before they had got together but their whole ohana had gathered for one of their annual cookouts. Charlie was laughing in his lap in the picture and Danny remembers himself asking Steve to take a picture for him to send to his mom in New Jersey. He’d beckoned Grace over and she’d wrapped her arms around his neck from behind.

Three grinning Williams faces stare up at him. Three grinning Williams faces stare up at Steve everyday. He chooses to have them staring at him everyday. The thought makes Danny’s chest start hurting again.

As if Steve knows he’s thinking about him, his phone buzzes with a message in his pocket. 

From Steve, 11:14am: Want to meet up at Kamekona’s for lunch when you’re done? Grace says she wants garlic shrimp. Your usual?

From Danny, 11:15am: Yeah, see you in a bit.

After replying, he puts his phone back in his pocket and looks back at the photo. He stares at it for another long moment before unclenching his fingers and sitting it back down where he found it. He walks out of the office without looking back.

-

Danny hears his name the moment he steps out of the camero at Kamekona’s. Charlie is waving over from the usual table outside the shrimp truck. Steve is grinning beside him while Grace is looking down at her phone across from them. “Danno! Danno!”

He waves back as he makes his way over to the table and kisses Charlie’s head when he gets there. “Hey, pal.”

He goes around to sit next to Grace and she smiles at him before going back to her phone.

“Danno, we played dinosaurs and army men and race cars!”

Danny grins at the enthusiasm on his san’s face. “Did you? Sounds like fun, buddy.”

Charlie grins. “My dinosaurs beat Uncle Steve’s army men in all the races.”

“Well, of course they did.” Danny says, reaching over and giving him a fist bump.

Steve chuckles before leaning over and tickling Charlie. “I’m gonna have to get you some Navy action figures, Charlie. Then we’ll have a real race.”

Charlie giggles and Steve turns toward Danny once he’s settles down and distracted by his drink. “Everything go alright?”

“Yeah. All good, babe.”

Danny turns to Grace and nudges her shoulder to get her attention. “Hey, that paper done?”

She looks up and nods. “Yeah. It’s not due until Wednesday, though.”

“Alright.”

Kamekona comes by just then with their food and they all dig in.

After a while, when they’re all about done eating, Grace mentions how she wants to go ahead and get ready to go down to the beach. Charlie agrees. “Yes! Let’s go!”

He starts to jump down off the bench but Steve grabs him before Danny can move. “Wait a minute, buddy. Let’s clean up your face and our plates first, yeah?”

“Okay, Uncle Steve.” Charlie says, grabbing a napkin off the table and hurriedly wiping his face. 

Steve grins down at him and something about the look on his face reminds Danny of the picture in his office. Maybe it’s the way Charlie responds to Steve or maybe it’s the way that the look on his face is the exact same one Danny knows he wears every time he looks at his son but it stops Danny right in his tracks and he just sits there staring at Steve, dumbfounded.

Steve glances over at him after they’ve cleaned up the table and tilts his head to the side. “Danny?”

He shakes his head, getting up out of his seat. “I’m good. Let’s get going before these two little sea monsters lose their sea legs.”

Steve doesn’t argue as Charlie laughs and Grace rolls her eyes but Danny can feel his concerned gaze on him as they leave.

-

A couple hours later finds them all down on the beach outside Steve's house. The winds are light so Steve and Grace have been out on their boards since they got out here. Danny and Charlie have been in and out of the ocean but Charlie wanted to make the biggest sandcastle ever known to man so that’s what they’re doing now. He regrets putting the earlier flannel back on because now sand is everywhere. He would complain about that fact too if his little boy didn’t look so goddamn happy. 

“No, Daddy, right there.” Charlie says pointing to his preferred spot where the next pail of sand should go.

Danny does what he’s told and they spend the next several minutes patting down the sand. Steve and Grace come walking up with their boards tucked under their arms a little while later and Danny takes the opportunity to get up and take a set in their usual spot a little closer to the house.

Steve takes Grace’s board and she settles down into the sand next to Charlie.

He returns after putting up their boards with lemonade for everyone. He hands Charlie and Grace their glasses and walks over toward Danny. He leans down to peck Danny’s lips before handing him a glass. He grabs the t-shirt hanging over the back of the chair next to Danny’s and slips it over his head before sitting down. He takes a long sip of his drink and sighs.

Danny chuckles. “Good, babe?”

“Yeah.” Steve says smiling unabashedly at him. “Warm day, cold drink, nice waves and the three of you. What could be better.”

That same feeling of love and fear he had this morning explodes in Danny’s chest and he sets down his drink. It must show on his face because Steve immediately puts his own drink down next to his on the little table in between them and frowns. “What’s up? 

Danny just stares at him for a minute before scratching his nose and propping his arm on the arm of the chair. He leans his chin on his hand. “I saw that picture on your desk today.”

“Okay.” Steve says, confused 

Danny shrugs. “I didn’t know you kept that one.”

“Well, yeah. It’s a great picture of you guys.” Steve says, still confused. “Is that- I mean is that okay? Do you want me to take it down or something?”

“No!” Danny exclaims, reaching out to touch Steve’s forearm. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just- that was before we even got together. Charlie was still warming up to everyone. I’m just surprised that you liked it so much.”

“Danny.” Steve says, smiling a little. “I loved Charlie the moment you said he was yours. Just like when I first met Grace. Hell, even when we thought he was just only her half brother, I liked him. I’d do anything for them.”

Danny nods. “Yeah, you say that but-“

“Danny.” Steve says, sharply taking a hold of the hand on his arm. “You think I’d lie about something like that?”

Danny sighs, looking down at their hands. “It’s just different when they’re yours. I don’t want you to jump in now and then regret it later.”

“Danny.” Steve exhales. “I’ve considered them mine for a long time.”

Danny snaps his head to meet Steve’s eye. “Really?”

“Really.” Steve says, leaning forward in his chair. “I thought you knew that.”

Stunned, Danny says, “I-“

Steve cuts him off. “I know how you get sometimes, Danno. I know how much you worry and how much you doubt the good things when you have them. You’re probably thinking right now that this is too good to be true.”

Danny rolls his eyes but can’t deny it and Steve shoots him a small smile.

“But it’s not. I know me saying that won’t make your worries go away but.” He squeezes Danny’s hand. “You deserve this, Danny. I’ll always be here to make sure you know that, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah.” Danny nods again, sheepishly. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah.”

Steve motions for him to get up. “Come here.” 

He pulls Danny into a hug the moment he stands up. With Steve’s arm around his shoulders, Danny feels a weight lift off his chest and he feels stupid for worrying in the first place.

“I’m sorry, babe.” He says, voice muffled by the other man’s shoulder as he tightens his grip around Steve’s back.

“Don’t be.” Steve whispers into his temple. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They pull apart at the same time and Danny leans up to kiss him. It’s pretty chaste considering they’re standing in front of his kids, their kids, Danny corrects himself, but Steve still kisses him just as enthusiastically as he did this morning. 

When Danny pulls back it’s with a grin and the other man smirks down at him. Steve tugs on the hem of the borrowed flannel. “You look really good in my shirt, Danno. Did you know that?”

He quirks up an eyebrow at him. “You know, I did have my suspicions.”

“You should keep it.”

Steve says it with a shrug but Danny can read him like a book. He smirks, sliding a hand down lower to touch Steve’s hip. “Sure. As long as it’s no trouble.”

Steve’s eyes darken and he takes a step closer. He opens his mouth to respond when Charlie’s voice rings out across the beach. “Danno! Uncle Steve! Look!”

Danny gives him a knowing smile before looking over at the Charlie who’s pointing down to his and Grace’s finished sandcastle. “Hey, it looks great, buddy!”

“Uncle Steve, can you help with the moat?” Charlie asks as both he and Grace start digging around the castle.

Danny looks back at him to see the other man looking down at him with soft smile. Steve squeezes his arm and winks before turning his head to answer Charlie. “Of course I can!”

He looks back at Danny, winking again as he steps out of his embrace. Danny laughs, slapping his hip as he goes and Steve’s laughter follows him down to the shore.

Danny stays there for a minute, watching his three favorite people in the world. The grins on his kids’ faces. The grin on the love of his life’s face. It feels like for once he can let go of some of his worries and just enjoy the present. Like Steve said, Danny doesn’t see his anxieties disappearing overnight or ever really but this is a step in the right direction and that’s enough.

“Dad, come on!”

Grace’s voice takes him out of his thoughts to see her waving at him to come closer. 

“Yeah, come on, Danno!” Charlie says with a handful of sand. “Come help us!”

Steve grins at him, beckoning him closer with a pail full of ocean water in his hands that gets half on his shirt as a result of the movement. His kids bust out laughing and Steve starts flicking water at the both of them. 

“Danno, help!” Steve exclaims, laughing as their kids team up on him by flicking water out of their own buckets back at him. 

So, this time when he beckons him over again, Danny goes.

**Author's Note:**

> pretty sure the show says in later seasons that that house only has two bedrooms but i quite frankly think that’s stupid considering both steve and mary grew up there so
> 
> title is from taylor swift’s song “you are in love”


End file.
